Khawagah
by SerenNoir
Summary: SEQUEL TO GAIKOKUJIN! In an effort to escape Japan from exposing some of Naruto's secrets, he allows fate to throw Sasuke and him together once more as they run to thwart the media's attentions. NaruSasuNaru. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Khawagah**

**Author's Note: **A lot can change in a year. Such as, not being able to write a single thing. At all. I had the very worst case of writer's block. Then life caught up with me. Now I'm back with the sequel that everyone called for. It's another adventure through countries I've never been too! Yay! Which means a heck of a lot of research and gross amount of wrong information. Be gentle on me with that one, please. I'm not actively in the Naruto fandom anymore. I gave up on the manga and quit the anime eons ago, but I still follow some of the authors on here that are still trudging through it. I figured this would be fun to write so why not another go. I'm absolutely in love with the tragic beauty of the Middle East. So we're going there. Okay? Good. And without further ado.

_Khawagah_: Basically, this is the Egyptian Arabic word for foreigner. It's typically used in a derogatory manner like gaikokujin is used in Japan.

Disclaimer: I do not claim rights to Naruto.

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**Chapter One**

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"_Naruto. You're the only man I've ever loved, but I can't marry you. The girl you want is not the one you need."_

In only six months after being back home, Naruto found himself yet again on a plane heading to a not-so-foreign country. Things had been rough after Sakura rejected his proposal and left him feeling stupid and used, still kneeling on one knee. He couldn't be angry with her though. She had expressed clearly while he was in Southeast Asia that she needed to be able to grow into herself and her career. So he had held onto the ring for nearly half a year; allowed it to sit on his dresser and remind him that his life was quickly becoming a failure.

He was on the verge of losing his bartending job, and Tsunade, on a last-ditch effort to save her adopted son, signed him up for counseling he never showed up for. He considered hocking the ring for some money but couldn't bring himself to sell it once he got there. He was at a literal dead end. Yet, here he was, grabbing blindly at the last chance he knew he had. The ring deserved to be returned to the person who bought it and finding Sasuke was not going to be an easy ordeal.

Looking him up was a nightmare and once Naruto finally did find him, he was surprised to learn that Sasuke had moved on up in life and become something Naruto so jokingly detested when they first met so many months ago. A politician. In fact, he was one of the 82 Councillors for the Liberal Democratic Party. It was amazing he was able to achieve this position in only six short months, and it could only be because of sheer determination and family connections. In fact, it wouldn't surprise Naruto if Sasuke had been working on getting the position way before they even met. Apparently this was a big deal from what Naruto was able to discern. If Sasuke wasn't wealthy before, he was definitely rolling in the dough now, which meant that being able to speak to him would be even more impossible. More so, finding the money to afford transportation, board and food in Japan was the biggest kicker. These days he was counting out change for the value menu at Taco Bell.

He wound up selling off most of his large furniture, excluding his bed and television; everything else he could really do without. Only then was he able to afford the two-thousand dollar roundtrip ticket with a little left over for when he arrived. To say Naruto was nervous about returning to his homeland was the understatement of the century. His dread would be considered understandable since he was coming back to the place that ruined his life.

What if he ran into some of the people from his former life? It was highly unlikely since he was traveling to Osaka, but the slim possibility set his nerves alight. He had prepared a speech in front of his bathroom mirror at home that morning to recite in front of Sasuke, but now it all seemed trite and cliché. It was silly to think Sasuke would drop everything in his busy life just to receive a ring that was a gift in the first place. Six months had passed, but Naruto was sure the man was still just as uptight, if not even more so now.

Thirteen hours later, Naruto found himself stumbling out of the over-crowded airport in the hustle and bustle of Japan during lunch rush hour. His head throbbed from lack of sleep, and combined with the time change over the Pacific, he felt like curling up and napping on whatever small section of pavement was available.

Judging by the slew of suits and briefcases, Naruto concluded he was in the business section part of town, which was really convenient if you thought about it. High-class businessmen and women were more apt to know where the Councillors' offices were than some kid on the street. He flagged down the first man he saw that wasn't speaking directly into a cell phone and asked in what broken Japanese he still retained.

After being pointed in the right direction, Naruto hiked his lucky backpack higher on his shoulders and trudged through the traffic of people around him. Austin had been a boiling factory of car exhaust, smog and the stench of people in mid-August, and Naruto was grateful for the slight reprieve of Japan's marginally cooler climate. Even so, sweat gathered underneath his arms where the shoulder straps of the backpack lay.

So, in short, he was the quite the picture as he stepped into the cool lobby of the high-rise offices where Sasuke worked when he wasn't called away to some meeting or benefactor banquet. The petite receptionist twinged at his disheveled appearance and her look of disgust did not go unnoticed by Naruto. He worried suddenly that he might embarrass Sasuke by showing up to his place of business looking like a common beggar.

When he glanced around the rich lobby, he was alarmed to find a group of people examining him curiously. For the life of him, he couldn't remember Japan being _this _blatant and hostile. They were all holding black packs at their sides. Someone from the front of the group unzipped their bag quickly and brought up a large camera, zooming in on Naruto before clicking rapidly with their pointer finger. The sound of the camera's shutter going off sent Naruto racing for the elevator.

He heard feet following him and ducked into the nearest one, jamming the close doors button with enough force that his thumb hurt. Once inside, he leaned heavily against the oak paneling. Wow. Things had definitely changed while he was away! He almost felt like a celebrity back home being hounded by the paparazzi. A plaque in the corner of the elevator indicated who was on which floor. Sasuke was on floor 45, office 45H. It was funny that once in Japan finding Sasuke was almost as easy as finding milk in the grocery store. It took him weeks back home in Austin to look him up. While Google was handy, it could also send you on a wild goose chase. Finally, he had managed to get a hold of someone who worked with Sasuke when he came to the United States on business.

The elevator opened up to reveal a large room set up to look like a lobby, much like the one downstairs. Huge, plush couches and coffee tables occupied the space in the center and circling the perimeter were office doors. 45H just so happened to be straight ahead of him, set back in its own special mini-hallway. A few people poked their heads out, but other than that, no one really acknowledged Naruto's presence or asked him if he needed their help.

Naruto stopped just outside the frosted doors of Sasuke's office and took a deep breath. Emotions battled against him; one part of him eagerly anticipated seeing his friend's face again and the other part was teetering on a nervous breakdown. Gently, he rapped his knuckles against the glass. A long moment passed before he heard a gruff voice from within tell him to come in. Steeling himself, Naruto opened the door and slipped in.

Sasuke had his back turned towards his floor-to-ceiling windows, clacking away at the laptop he balanced on his lap. "Yes?"

Naruto cleared his throat. "Umm...uh..." He mentally kicked himself. Okay Naruto, English, speak it. "Long time no see?"

Sasuke paused typing, swiveling in his chair sharply. "Naruto." The man before him stared, before pushing away from his desk. In the blink of an eye, Naruto found himself enveloped in a warm hug. Sasuke's crisp suit rubbed against his cheek and the smell of the man's cologne immediately calmed the nerves he had before. Sasuke pulled away finally, a huge smile set upon his face.

"When did you get here? What are you doing here? How have you been?" He rattled off the questions at lightning speed. Naruto laughed out loud before answering.

"Well, just today actually. I've been decent, and I'm actually here because I have something to give to you."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow playfully. "You're telling me you flew all the way to Japan today to give me something that you just as easily could have mailed? Come, come, sit." He motioned Naruto towards the chair opposite his. Naruto sunk into it, feeling his nerves light up again. He'd have to tell him now.

"Well, you're not the easiest man to find. Even if I could have found an address, it wouldn't be right to mail this. I'd rather give it to you in person."

Sasuke turned serious then, leaning his elbows onto the desk. "Well, what is it?"

Naruto dug in the front pocket of his backpack before pulling out the ring box. He slid it across the desk towards Sasuke.

"She didn't want it," he said simply. Sasuke took the box and opened it, brows furrowing after a moment.

"I'm truly sorry, Naruto. Thank you for returning it to me, although I can't think of what use I would need it for."

"It just seemed right, and I'm sure you probably spent a lot of money on it. Sakura and I… well, I couldn't work through our problems. She was still dead set on her career."

Sasuke removed the ring from its box and held it between his fingers. It gleamed in the sunlight, a testament of its craftsmanship considering how old it was.

"Have you considered giving it to another woman, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, sliding the ring back into the box.

"It's yours-" Before Naruto could finish, a woman burst into the office, alarm on her features.

"Uh… Councilor Uchiha, you may want to postpone that lunch break. The lobby downstairs is crawling with reporters."

The calm, soft-spoken demeanor Sasuke had held since Naruto walked in fell off his face immediately. "You're joking? How in the hell…"

The woman nodded towards Naruto. "You should turn on the news; I'm sure they have it broadcasting on all the stations by now."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto curiously. "Did you talk to anyone on the way here?" He turned on the television that was sitting on the far left wall.

"Just some person on the street. I asked him where your building was."

The first news channel Sasuke came upon was in fact broadcasting news about Sasuke.

"…Councilor Sasuke Uchiha was rumored to have a special guest visiting him today. The guest would be none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the Japanese-born American that was part of the expedition Uchiha went on six months ago. Unfortunately for him, his old friend seems to have a blight in his past. Uzumaki holds a criminal record with crimes such as resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, petty theft, and various others. As the youngest Council member, Uchiha has some pretty big shoes to fill and let's hope he doesn't ruin his chances by making friends with the wrong crowd. I'm Melissa Aiko and this is your Channel 28 news center." The announcer left off with pictures of Naruto's mug shot as a teen.

When Naruto finally glanced up at Sasuke, the man had his head in his hands, fingers rubbing fiercely at his temples.

"They keep doing these sorts of things and the more it makes me wish I was still a lowly pizza delivery boy."

"Why are they doing this?" Naruto questioned, feeling suddenly even more unwanted in Japan.

"The media loves making a mess of my life, Naruto. I'm not sure what makes me so interesting to them, but I can't take a piss without them looking over my shoulder. For the past four months, ever since I took this office, they have been hounding me nonstop just waiting for me to fuck up." Sasuke stared at Naruto then. "They have their opportunity now. It's not your fault though, so don't blame yourself."

"I wasn't." Naruto stood, defiance rising up inside him. "What do we do though?" Sasuke turned to stare out over the city. "We take a vacation, I guess. We distance ourselves from the media soon. You understand you're a part of this now, right Naruto?"

Naruto started then. "I just came back to give you the ring. You're still my friend, Sasuke, but I can't be dragged into this."

Sasuke shook his head, soft hair whipping gently around his face. "It's a bit late for that. They'll follow you back home and make your life a living hell. We'll both have to leave, together. And during that time, I'll get Suigetsu to diffuse the situation and hopefully we'll get everything fixed up. Nice and neat like a pretty little package."

His voice was wistful. Sasuke had definitely changed since they had been apart. He was more reserved, less spoiled brat. He understood the gravity of the world and his position in its government. If what he was saying was all true, then Naruto really had no choice but to leave with him. He couldn't have reporters hanging outside Tsunade's kitchen window. She'd beat the snot out of them all, and he'd have to bail her out of jail.

"I didn't bring anything with me. My ticket was roundtrip; that was all I had money for," Naruto explained, finally conceding to Sasuke's wishes.

Sasuke turned to face him. "That's no problem. We'll get you something before we leave." His face seemed to soften now that Naruto had agreed to run with him.

"…where are we leaving to, anyways?"

"Have you ever been to Cyprus, Naruto?"

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**Author's Note: So, how do you like it so far? I would love to hear your comments. Cyprus is a beautiful, beautiful Mediterranean country just east of Greece. You should google some images of it. **

**Looking for a beta reader to help out. Qualifications are that you must be comfortable with what I write, which for this story is SasuNaruSasu AU. I'm looking for someone who is strong in grammar and tenses, and less on plot. I have a pretty strong idea of where I would like this story to go. If you feel like you're interested, just PM and we'll work something out. I want someone that will actually help, and not someone who just wants to read the latest update before everyone else.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Khawagah**

**Author's Note: I was finally able to churn out the next chapter. Hooray! A little tip for fellow medical majors out there: don't try to have a social life, because it's quite impossible. This chapter would have been up much sooner if it weren't for classes and work. So if you're ever wondering where I've gone off to and when the next chapter is coming, I'm probably neck-deep in anatomy.**

_Disclaimer: I do not claim rights to Naruto._

**Chapter Two**

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The first order of business was to find some way to escape from the building without being seen. There were only two ways down: by elevator or by taking the stairs. The likelihood that reporters were camped out in both was very high. Sasuke was busy gathering up the papers that were strewn across his desk and shredding the ones that weren't important enough to keep but were also too valuable to just throw out intact.

"So… how famous are you?" Naruto wondered if they would even be able to grab a few belongings amidst all this chaos. Sasuke shrugged noncommittally, finally tossing the rest of the papers into the wastebasket.

"I wouldn't worry about it. I already have people out picking up our things." The man could still read his every thought. "I guessed at your size, but if they don't fit we can always shop once we get to Cyprus." Sasuke motioned for Naruto to follow him out of the office.

"I have a helicopter pad on the roof and we'll use that to get to the airport in order to avoid going downstairs."

"You have your own personal helicopter?" Naruto almost rolled his eyes; he thought only rich people in movies had private air transportation.

Once they were in the elevator, the reality of the situation hit Naruto like a sledgehammer. Running away wasn't sounding like the best idea anymore. He was going to lose his job when he didn't show up for work on Monday. He had no way of knowing if he could even contact Tsunade and let her know that he was alive and well. She'd have his head before all this was said and done.

The wind on the roof whipped Naruto's shirt around his torso, and he had to squint his eyes at the onslaught. The pilot steered Naruto to the rear door, instructing him on how to buckle up properly and use the headset he was given. Sasuke jumped in beside him, sliding out of his suit jacket and placing it in the narrow space behind their seats.

"This is going to be a long ride, so you might as well get comfortable. We'll try not to stop until we have to fuel up again, and then we're boarding a charter plane to get out of the country." Sasuke handed him a heavy duffel bag. "Here, they got you a couple changes of clothes and some of the basic toiletries. I'm sorry that we couldn't grab more…"

Sasuke trailed off, eyes turned towards the buildings around him. Naruto felt a tug within his chest. He didn't really know Sasuke anymore; how much had his life changed in just a short time? There was a totally different person occupying the body that Naruto mapped out six months previous. He also felt sad for Sasuke. Naruto couldn't imagine having your every move monitored every second of the day, and he briefly wondered if having the financial security of a government position was worth having your life laid bare for everyone to gawk at.

The mid-afternoon sun warmed the smooth planes of the helicopter's glass, but it did nothing to melt the chill Naruto felt creeping into his chest. He knew nothing about where they were going, and this time, Sasuke and he would be completely different from their surroundings. There would be no familiar Asians to lump in with.

He noticed Sasuke dozing off next to him and felt envious. He wished he could fall asleep so easily, but his conscious would not allow it. Instead, for the next few hours he sat ramrod straight in his seat, allowing his mind to get the better of him. By the time they touched down in a private airfield, Naruto had chewed his lip to pieces from worry. Naruto shook Sasuke awake gently. The man blinked open weary eyes before settling them on Naruto.

"I was in Mexico. On the beach drunk off Dos Equis and Patron."

Naruto had to laugh at that. Bartending 101 (and a little of freshmen year in college) clearly taught him that not only was mixing beer with liquor a bad choice, but two Mexican spirits never sat well.

"Ok, c'mon, Señor, let's get a move on."

Their new pilot stood at the entrance of the ramp to their plane. He was a tall, husky man that wore his male dominance like a coat of armor. If there was ever a person to smuggle them into the Middle East, it was this guy.

Sasuke immediately took the initiative and pulled him off to the side. Naruto strained to hear their conversation, slightly perturbed that he was being excluded. The inside of the small charter plane was upholstered with rich royal blue velvet carpet, and it even had a well-stocked mini-bar set off to one side. There were a few bottles of Stoli set under a shelf, but as for the rest, it was mostly a rich selection of dark wines.

"Is this yours, too?" Naruto asked once Sasuke joined him inside the plane.

"No, it's a friend of mine's. He gave us permission to borrow it for the time being. We're going to be in the air for over seventeen hours so I suggest getting used to the inside of this thing until we land."

Naruto sighed. He noticed there was a small room for a toilet on the opposite side of the seats, but couldn't see himself actually using it while in the air. He never used the commercial planes' bathrooms either and not just because everyone and their cousin did their business in the coffin-sized space.

A few hours into the flight, Naruto finally succumbed to the heaviness in his eyelids. While he slept, he dreamt of a dark void. His legs were melting into this void, and no matter how much he tried to pull out of it, it continued to suction him down. A high-pitched wind whistled around him and though a part of him knew he was dreaming, it almost sounded like the noise a plane made when it was plummeting to Earth.

A monotonous beep sounded amidst the whistling noise. Naruto frantically searched the void looking for the source. Suddenly, a shadow crossed in front of him. It reached a hand out, closer and closer, until Naruto could just begin to see the razor sharp, jagged nails in front of his face.

He jerked awake. It became immediately clear that the sounds in his dreams were actually taking place around him. The whistling stung his ears and he pressed his hands against each one hoping to drown some of it out. Naruto jolted up, looking for Sasuke. He heard him at the front of the plane, behind a heavy curtain that partitioned the cockpit from their seats. Stumbling forward, he grasped onto the curtain and pulled it back, using it to keep himself upright.

Naruto held in a choked gasp a he realized that the nose of their plane was angling down. They were dropping with such force that flakes of rusted paint were chipping off and flinging against the windshield.

"What's going on?" Naruto yelled above the roar of the engines.

"One of our engines is down, goddamnit!" The thick corded tendon on the side of their pilot's neck bulged as he struggled to maintain control of the airplane. "I can keep us in the air just long enough. Let's hope to hell there's a safe place to put her down."

Naruto shuddered. Was this what that bad feeling in his stomach had been trying to let him know? That he was going to die in a plane crash in the middle of nowhere? "Where are we at?" he whispered meekly, crouching to sit between the two seats. His insides churned and he swallowed hard to quell the rising bile and overwhelming fear.

"He thinks we're somewhere over Libya." Sasuke finally spoke up. The man was leaning hard on his armrest, almost as if the gravity of the situation was literally weighing him down.

"Are we going to die?" Their plane had fallen far enough that Naruto could make out the land beneath them. Sand. Nothing but sand. The pilot cursed loudly, pulling up hard on the yoke. Visible beads of sweat glistened on his brow and in that moment, Naruto admired the human ability to persevere. This man wasn't going to give up on his plane or them. However, it did little to calm Naruto's racing thoughts.

Sasuke trained his eyes on him then. "That is not going to happen," he said with such certainty that Naruto was forced to do nothing but believe him.

Suddenly, a loud BOOM echoed around them and the sensors on the dash started flickering and wailing like crazy.

"The other one's gone! Shit!" Naruto jerked up at their pilot's exclamation. Abruptly, everything went silent on the dash as their power was finally exhausted. Naruto's tongue thickened inside his mouth as the nose of their plane dipped even lower.

The ground rose up to meet them faster than he could have expected. The pilot grunted and cursed, yanking so hard on the yoke Naruto could see the wires pulling free.

"I think I can land her just in front of us! Do you see?"

A straight path of desert welled up in front of them. With no power and only limited control of steering, the possibility was extremely slight. Naruto saw a thin line of tears streak down Sasuke's face. He grasped onto the man's hand hard, squeezing all his remaining strength into his friend. If this was their end, he couldn't bear to be parted from him.

Naruto braced himself for impact, but nothing he did could have prepared him for meeting land at such force. The plane shuddered and screeched as the nose slid along the ground first. With a sickening snap, the right wing broke off as the plane veered onto its side. Naruto felt his knees leaving the cold metal of the floor before he was flung into the side window of the plane. Black dotted his vision and he heard someone yell out. He felt Sasuke's hand reaching for his own and he took solace in this before he succumbed to the darkness that folded up around him.

And just as quickly as it had all began, it was quiet.

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**This has nothing to do with the story at present, but ****am I the only one who completely abandons a story I'm reading if the author uses the phrase "to the hilt" during a sex scene? It's not a sword people. Writers, please, stop doing this. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Khawagah**

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**Comments: Hello, all! I hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long. All the love for spieg who looked this over and made it beautiful.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Three**

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The first thing Naruto was aware of upon waking was that it felt like there was a gallon of sand between the crack of his butt cheeks and that he was being dragged across the ground.

"Stop, stop, stop!" he yelled to Sasuke, who halted in enough time for Naruto to roll to all fours and vomit. He took in a few deep, shaky breaths and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

"I'm sorry for dragging you. I'm not strong enough to carry you, or else I would have."

Naruto sat up, raising his head to finally look at Sasuke. The man's shirt was torn and Naruto could see a shallow gash on his stomach. "You okay?" Sasuke followed where Naruto's eyes were aimed, pulling the ripped edge of his shirt down to cover the wound.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just a scratch. Got it when I was trying to get you out of the plane."

Naruto glanced back behind them. The aircraft was a good kilometer away, just a dark blight against the early morning sky. "Where's the pilot?" The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was the man giving his all to keep them alive.

"He's trying to get the radio to work. He thinks there might be a signal we can reach way out here."

Naruto sat up, confused. "Then, why aren't we with him? Why are we way out here? Our be—"

"There was a fuel leak," Sasuke cut him off. Naruto whipped his head back towards the wreckage. Now he could see the thin line of smoke rising up from the smoldering plane that he didn't recognize before.

"It was only a matter of time. He knew that. I had to keep you safe." Naruto felt Sasuke kneel down onto the sand next to him, laying a comforting hand upon his shoulder. Naruto shrugged it off roughly, swinging his fist around to hit Sasuke. The man dodged it easily.

"You got us into this! No one asked you to whisk me away to a private island to keep your secret about me safe! You could have gone alone, you bastard!" Naruto launched himself at Sasuke, driving his body into the man's middle. Sasuke fell onto his back with Naruto on top, the man shielding his face from his onslaught.

"I hate you! I hate you! We're going to die out here!"

Sasuke flipped him then, shoving Naruto's head into the soft sand beneath them. Naruto's hands were pinned above his head as Sasuke glared down at him. "We're not going to die out here. That only happens in movies. Now shut up so I can think properly."

Naruto bit back his retort, ignoring the sharp bite of gritty sand clinging to his cheek. Sasuke was licking his lip gingerly as he eventually released his hold on Naruto's hands. A drop of fresh blood swelled there and Naruto felt guilty for attacking Sasuke like he did. It wasn't really Sasuke's fault; Naruto just had an overwhelming urge to blame _someone. _

"We need to find people… a town or something. But which direction?" Sasuke muttered more to himself than to Naruto.

"Yeah, which direction indeed? Who knows where the hell we are, Sasuke." Naruto sat up, leaning his weight on his arms. "I bet whatever map our pilot may have had is gone now. Though, it shouldn't be too hard to find civilization. Libya isn't _that_ big."

Naruto sensed Sasuke glaring at him, but in the dark it was hard to tell.

"I feel like I shouldn't have to remind you of the seriousness of the situation. After all, weren't you the one a moment ago carrying on how about we're doomed to our deaths?"

"I decided to play the optimistic card for once." Naruto stood, brushing the sand off the side of his face. Extending a hand to Sasuke, he pulled the man to his feet. A quick survey of the murky blue-black of land around them had him wishing he had a compass and a map.

Since he had neither, he set off to his right and let his gut instinct guide him. Sasuke trotted to keep up and Naruto noticed then the man had managed to save Naruto's dilapidated backpack from the wreckage. The fact that Sasuke had thought to grab his bag, consciously or not, warmed him inside. If there was ever a person he would want to be stranded in the middle of the desert with, it'd be Sasuke.

They moved along for a while and the sun was steadily climbing to its place in the middle of the sky when Naruto heard Sasuke stifle a gasp. He cast a sideways glance to see if everything was alright, halting immediately when he saw the man holding his hand to his stomach directly where he had been cut earlier.

"How is it?" He could obviously see Sasuke bite back a grimace. Between his fingers, Naruto can just make out the puffy edge of the wound. Anybody who wasn't a fool knew that his cut was worse than what he had originally let on.

"It's fine. Walking just makes it ache. We're bound to run across someone soon."

It did little to assuage Naruto's concerns, but he shut up anyway, content on letting the man take care of himself if he so wished. An hour later, Naruto wished Sasuke's assumptions had been wrong.

Their hands were bound tightly behind their backs and their assailant had them backed up against each other. Unfortunately, their arms were trapped by zip ties which meant they couldn't untie each other.

"Mind telling me why the two of you are out wandering the desert alone?" The feminine voice issuing from their attacker had the both of them doing a double take; it came as more of a surprise than the fact she spoke in English. She was dressed head to foot in heavy robes and her face and head were wrapped well to protect from the sand, so it was no wonder they had assumed it was a man with how easily she had subdued them.

"Please… our plane crashed. We're trying to find a town to get some help."

The woman sneered. "So I'm guessing you've never been here before. It's dangerous to be out here all by yourself; you'll get robbed."

"Isn't that what you planned to do anyway?" Sasuke questioned, haughtily. Naruto jabbed him hard with his elbow; it was not wise to anger the crazy chick who had them immobilized.

"What little foreign cash you're carrying in your wallets is of no use or interest to me. However, I do like that watch you're wearing. Mind if I take a look?"

She had it in her hand easily enough. "Thanks. It'll bring me a bit in the market."

"So, are you just some kind of vagrant? Go around and pickpocket and terrorize every helpless person you come across?"

For a brief second, Naruto imagined he saw a flash of hurt cross the woman's features. He jabbed Sasuke harder with his elbow; anything to get him to just shut up. He sure had gotten mouthy in their time apart.

"You two are really pushing my fucking buttons."

Naruto couldn't contain his outburst this time. "We're pushing YOUR buttons?"

The woman sneered loudly before reaching a hand to her face. She grabbed a handful of the fabric around her head and pulled down.

Her face did not reflect back what a vagrant's should look like. In fact, she was actually striking. Her skin was tanned to a soft olive shade and her eyes were such a shade of brown that they looked almost blood-red in the sunlight.

Her hair, however, was the most compelling. It was the color of blood, no doubt a byproduct of henna dye, but out in the desert she almost resembled a brilliant phoenix.

"Yes, you certainly are," she shot back, adjusting her glasses on her face from where they had been knocked askew. "You two are obviously too clueless to be who I thought you were. So, for my sake and sanity, I'm letting you off the hook."

"You won't help us?" Naruto got up the nerve to ask.

"Yeah, nearest town's that-a-way," the woman replied haughtily, thumbing towards her left.

"We have no water though. And… and look at Sasuke! He's already so red! At this rate, he'll be crisp by tonight."

"Not my problem. Look, if you come with me I can get you to town, but I want nothing to do with you after that." Upon untying them, she simply walked away.

"We stand our best chance with her," Naruto reasoned immediately.

"As much as I would like to disagree with you, I think you're right on this one."

The two men scrambled over the sand in the direction their mysterious savior set off in. They found her at the rise of the dune near them, coaxing an ancient camel from its seated position.

"Wise choice, gentlemen. I'll lead, you ride." The animal bellowed in response. "She hates men," she said matter-of-factly. "By the way, my name's Karin."

Naruto caught the apprehension on Sasuke's face. "Can't be much different than riding a horse."

"I've never ridden a horse though."

With a little prodding, Naruto was able to get Sasuke situated in front of the camel's hump. It was a tight fit for both of them together though, so Naruto perched behind, hoping desperately the animal didn't kick out and throw him off. Karin passed them a couple of water bottles she had hidden in the sack that hung off the side of the camel. The water was lukewarm, but Naruto guzzled greedily, immediately forgiving Karin for tying them up. Sasuke sipped his quietly, lost in thought. Naruto ached to ask him what was wrong, but given their present company and situation, he clamped his lips together on all the things that wanted to leak out.

Thirty minutes into their ride, Sasuke pointed ahead of them to the blurred image of a town. To realize they were so close all along and yet they had been traveling in the wrong direction had Naruto's nerves rattled. Karin was turning more into a blessing than the bad omen she seemed as the day wore on.

"The city is called Tobruk. It's a port city, so understand everybody is going to want to talk to you and to sell you something you've never seen before," Karin said, amusement in her voice as they approached the outskirts.

Dusty children playing by the roadside stared them down, eyes wide with open curiosity.

"The sooner we get to Cyprus, the better," Sasuke mumbled in front of him. "We need to get our bearings. Find out where we are first and then make a couple of calls. I'll have to get in touch with Rhaivosky's family…"

Naruto felt disgusted with himself in that moment. He didn't even know the name of the man who so valiantly saved their lives. Sasuke must have caught the look on his face, because he squeezed his hand in return.

"It would have been better if we stayed in Japan. I'm sorry I've brought you into this mess, Naruto."

Naruto wanted to retort and make it clear that it wasn't Sasuke's fault what had happened, but his words were drowned out amongst the shouts and mayhem that they suddenly found themselves in the middle of. He made a mental note to let Sasuke know how appreciative he was that if they had to go through Hell, at least they went together.


	4. Chapter 4

**Khawagah**

**Author's Note: **I've added a very important announcement to my profile, but for those who can't be bothered to click, I'll lay it out here also. This site is beginning to purge the explicit content; they did this back in 2002 and as a result, I lost quite a few stories. From now on, I will not be posting anything that will land me in hot water. I will continue Khawagah and continue to post other fics here, but they will be edited versions. Full, complete versions will be crossposted on aff dot net for now and hopefully AO3 later on. I'll be under the same penname, of course. I'll make a note at the beginning of the chapter if there has been stuff that's been cut out, so it's very important for my readers to read over the author's note, however tl;dr they may be sometimes. I'll also provide links if needed.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter because it starts getting into some romangst.

**Disclaimer**: I do not claim rights to Naruto.

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Four steps into the local bazaar and Karin's words rang true. They were surrounded by makeshift tents and stands that sold everything from fresh fruit to cheap, gaudy trinkets. They passed an elderly woman who had brilliant, richly-colored rugs hanging up on the wall behind her. Naruto saw her squinting at them, as if to make out where they were from. He raised his hand in greeting and her crinkled face broke, revealing a row of silver-capped teeth. Without knowing why, the simple act of a stranger smiling back at him warmed the coldness in his gut.

"You said this is a port town?" Sasuke questioned. Without asking, Naruto could see a plan formulating in his friend's mind.

"It's what Tobruk is known for, yes," Karin affirmed in her off-hand tone of speaking.

"We could barter our way onto a ship and get to Cyprus that way," he explained to me after I poked him in the back for a further explanation.

Karin snorted out a laugh so loud that their camel brayed back in surprise. "Sorry to bust your bubble, gentlemen, but the easiest way to Cyprus is through Egypt's ports. That's where I'm from, and there's no such thing as "bartering" your way anywhere."

"Why bother going all the way to Egypt? We could easily take a ship out of this port and sail straight to Libya." Naruto argued, perplexed at Karin's train of logic.

"Have you looked at a map? Any ship leaving out of this port will stop in Alexandria before heading north. Then you're at the mercy of Egypt's customs control."

Naruto could see Sasuke biting down in his lip in consternation. Karin was probably right; they were not going to get through any sort of security without questions asked. They had a dead pilot on their hands and not to mention, they were illegally in the country. Naruto couldn't recall the last time he saw their passports, but he was certain they had been left on the plane.

When he had opened up his backpack, he was dismayed to find that he had little in the way of personal possessions. This feeling was quickly squashed down as he realized Sasuke had _nothing_ except the clothes on his back and the contents of his pockets. Grabbing his backpack may not have been much in the way of a foresight, but he was grateful that Sasuke had done it anyway.

Karin suddenly jerked on their camel's reigns, halting the brutish animal with practiced efficiency. They were stopped in front of large, three-story building that reminded Naruto of the hotels along his Gulf Coast. An arched entryway in the middle of the pinkish brick opened up to a rather roomy courtyard, complete with a blooming garden and fountain.

"The media sure does paint a very gloomy picture of this place," Naruto muttered incredulously as he took in the brilliant hydrangeas and snapdragons. A barefoot young man approached them, smiling brightly.

"Room for two? And for the beautiful lady?" Karin seemed to roll her eyes at the compliment, but allowed him to lead the way towards one of the ground floor rooms. While Karin stayed behind to tie up her camel under the shade of a palm grove, Naruto followed Sasuke into their shared room.

A single bed occupied the middle of the room, but sharing a bed would be nothing new to the two. A small desk sat underneath the only window in the room, where a bowl of fresh, local fruit awaited along with a map of the hotel and where they could find the communal showers and bathrooms. Karin poked her head into their doorway a moment later to wish them good night.

"We should probably leave fairly early in the morning if we want to make good headway. I'll have our gear packed and ready by six," she added, before whisking away to her own room.

Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, grateful for the soft give of the mattress and not the hard, unyielding hump of a camel's back. Now that he had a bit of time to relax and rest his body, he was able to get a good look at Sasuke. The man looked like he had been through a war zone and Naruto was certain he was a mirror image. Sasuke's once-pristine dark suit pants were covered in a layer of dust and filth, and his button-up still had a wide slash through the belly.

The same man from before suddenly appeared at their doorway, holding two sets of clean, worn clothes and towels. "Your female companion requested that these be sent to you. Enjoy your stay, please."

It was a quiet walk towards the showers and while not uncomfortable, Naruto really wanted to discuss what their next plan of action would be. Sasuke wasn't exactly being forthcoming with whatever was going on inside his head. The man looked haggard, so Naruto convinced himself it was best to be patient. Nonetheless, it didn't stop the overwhelming feeling of wanting to reach out and take the other's hand in his to reassure him.

He hadn't let it sink in before; he had been too busy finding Sasuke, running away with Sasuke, surviving a plane crash with Sasuke, but now, in this strange, foreign land, he remembered the companionship they had shared and the nights spent together. Sasuke had offered his stability when Naruto had needed it the most, but would he so readily do it again?

There was so much that could have changed, and had changed, in half a year. Sasuke was extremely important to his country and Naruto had no business interfering with that. Had Sasuke thought about him during their time apart as much as Naruto had thought about Sasuke? Every night, he closed his eyes and wished he was miles away and lying next to the man who didn't always have the right things to say at the right time but always had the best intentions.

Buying that ring had been the most selfless thing anyone had ever done for Naruto. It had been hard to say goodbye at the airport that day, but somehow he sucked it up and did it. But, in the back of his mind, he always knew that the ring was meant to be on a different finger all along.

The showers were set back and nestled among a grove of squat trees. The inside was not much different from the athletics showers in his old high school. The room was partitioned down the middle by a tall brick wall which separated the men from the women. There were five cubicles laid out along the west wall with a large communal spigot straight ahead of them. Privacy seemed to be of little concern in this area because the cubicles only had a flimsy, transparent curtain.

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt shyness creep upon him. Sasuke had seen him in the nude more than once before, but now that things were different between them, undressing in front of each other was going to be awkward. The other man didn't know his hesitation, however, and began stripping himself of his clothes slowly. There was a sigh as Sasuke gazed at his ripped shirt forlornly; it was beyond repairing. At least they had clean, albeit used, clothes to change into.

Naruto respectfully averted his eyes as Sasuke climbed into the stall and turned on the water.

"Well, it's not hot, but at least it's not cold either," the man mused, unwrapping a bar of soap that sat atop the wash stall.

Naruto noticed it then, the thin, even scar crossing Sasuke's bicep. Memories flooded his mind as he reflected on how Sasuke got that scar exactly. He had been stabbed while trying to rescue Naruto from their drug-trafficking kidnappers. Everywhere Naruto was affected Sasuke in a negative way. They were stranded in Libya because of him, too. Guilt weighed him down and he turned his gaze from Sasuke in shame.

"I can practically hear you beating yourself up over this," Sasuke grumbled suddenly, breaking Naruto from his destructive thoughts. The man looked over his shoulder at him, his eyes soft. "So stop already."

"I'm bad news bears," Naruto replied, voice wistful. "If I could stop dragging you through all this, I would in a heartbeat."

Sasuke leveled a glare in his direction, one that thinly veiled all his frustration. Naruto barely managed to catch the bar of soap as it came sailing over the curtain at him. Grabbing his towel from Naruto, Sasuke quickly secured it around his waist before stepping out of the stall.

Standing next to him, Naruto felt like a child. His build was larger, and he was marginally taller, but Sasuke looked the part of an adult moreso than himself. Naruto was still just a beefed-up kid with nothing good going for him.

The tepid water felt amazing on his sun-baked skin and he let loose a long, appreciative groan. He heard Sasuke chuckle and was relieved they could at least still do this; they were still comfortable enough with each other as before in some ways. Naruto soaped up his hair with the bar in his hand, absentmindedly humming a tune in his throat. The silence wasn't overbearing, but Sasuke broke it anyway.

"Did she give you a reason again this time?" Naruto's thoughts turned to Sakura immediately, a sharp blossom of familiar pain in his chest.

"It had never changed from the first time. I haven't spoken to her in six months, but it seems her career is moving forward." It wasn't a total lie, but he honestly didn't know how she was really doing. He had tried, and with mild success, to forget she had ever been his. He hoped she was doing well, though; it was about all the well-wishes she would afford from him.

"Right before she walked out for the second time, she told me that the girl I wanted in my life was not the one I needed. I assumed she had been talking about herself..."

"How would she know who you needed?" Sasuke's eyes were unreadable, but the tension in his voice told Naruto that he really didn't believe Sakura's excuses. He guessed he really didn't either. He hurried the rest of his shower, feeling all-too-vunerable after their conversation.

The clothes that were allotted to them were made of a thin, breathable fiber that resembled cotton, but let air flow through a lot easier. After putting them on, Naruto noticed that his skin felt instantly cooler, although he wondered how good they were at keeping sand out. The pants were loosely woven and bagged out around his knees and calves; Naruto grinned to himself as it reminded him of pajama bottoms.

They faced each other once dressed, unable to keep a straight face for very long. If it weren't for Sasuke's pale complexion and Naruto's golden hair, they could almost pass for native-born Libyan citizens. At least they didn't look like they dropped out of the air into the sweltering desert anymore.

The walk back was quiet, but not as tense as it was the first time. Naruto caught himself stretching his fingers out towards Sasuke's palm as it swayed as he walked. A question formed his his head at that moment, and although it would have been better to wait on asking, he found himself opening his mouth before thoroughly thinking it through.

"Have you been with someone... since me?" His voice caught on the last note and immediately Naruto felt his question hang down around his neck like an albatross.

Sasuke was deathly quiet next to him.

"I haven't had much time for that in my life lately," he mumbled finally, slightly easing the burden that had settled around Naruto. By the time they had reached their room, Naruto had resolved that whatever they had between them six months prior was probably lost. They had come together under stressful circumstances and went their separate ways as friends. Conversation didn't come easy to them for the rest of the evening.

"Please. Try not to think about it right now," Sasuke pleaded later, under the safe cloak of darkness. There was at least a foot between them on the bed they shared and Naruto intensely missed the warmth of another person beside him. It was difficult to not close the space between them, but he held out for Sasuke's sake. What he was saying was all true. This was certainly not the time or place to bring up such matters and they had to focus on getting to Cyprus safely, not on whether or not they still had something between them.

Naruto made a deal with himself that night in the dark. As soon as they reached Cyprus, he would lay out all the cards on the table and Sasuke could choose as he wished. His last thought before falling into the oblivion of sleep was that he really hoped Sasuke would settle for someone like him.

* * *

**Comments: **Feel free to voice questions or concerns through a review or PM. If you would like links to complete, full versions, send me a PM and I'll let you know when I start posting over there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Khawagah**

**Comments:** Evening, lovelies! My summer break went by too quickly, and I really regret not working on this more. I hope you enjoy, no matter how long it's been. Kudos to my beta!queen spieg for still trudging with me through this no matter how busy we are!

**Diclaimer:** I do not own anything with a copyright.

_**Chapter Five**_

* * *

Waking up felt a lot like being hit by a semi. After he succumbed to sleep, Naruto tossed and turned all night, plagued with unsettling dreams. His body was exhausted and each blink of his eyes sent a thudding pain through his head. Six o'clock came too early.

* * *

Karin passed them a couple of warm pastries filled with honey as they passed through the now-empty market square. A few of the vendors were already up and moving about, readying their stalls for business. Mornings here were so calm, unlike Houston where traffic was no doubt already backed up. Sasuke was staring out ahead of them, gently twisting some of the camel's coarse hair between his fingers. He hadn't said much since they woke up, which usually meant he was working out something in his head.

Trust Sasuke to try to get two steps ahead every time. The sun was high in the sky before the dark-haired man finally spoke.

"Is there any particular reason you're going out of your way to help us, Karin?"

The woman had her head covered again which made it impossible to see her face as she digested the question. As much as she had helped them, Naruto was also unsure of her true intentions; she still hadn't mentioned getting back the money they owed her for putting them up the night before.

"If it weren't for me you would still be lost in the desert while the buzzards waited to pick you clean afterwards," she quipped, yanking on the camel's harness. It snorted harshly, but followed its master's command.

"We are grateful," Sasuke reassured her.

Karin finally stopped to jerk her head around to face them. "Like I said before, you'll have a better chance getting into Cyprus from my border than here. Plus, we can clear up your financial issues as well. I hadn't planned on returning so soon, so you _should_ be grateful that I'm helping you at all. I could have just taken your watch."

"Trust that you'll be rewarded once I have money in my hands." Sasuke's voice had dropped an octave which meant he was either really agitated, or he was lying. Lying for what reason though? Naruto hadn't been around the man for some time, but he could still pick up on his subtle body language and know what it meant.

It was probably best to change the subject. "We're without money and passports. How exactly are we getting across the border anyway?"

"I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."

* * *

The long cerulean robes clung to his ankles and made walking near impossible. The view that the burqa afforded was limited and without any peripheral vision so Naruto couldn't exactly see Sasuke's face, but dammit if he couldn't _hear_ it. The smirk that the other man wore was close to being actually palpable.

"You know you have to wear this, too." He rotated in place, Sasuke finally emerging in his line of sight. The man had his arms crossed firmly over his chest and the look he gave Naruto was withering at best.

"Hm, I didn't think you would actually be able to pull it off; you're so muscular," Karin quipped, approaching them with another burqa folded in her arms. This one she tossed to Sasuke. "You still don't look like women, though."

She pondered for a moment, a hand coming up to rake through her own hajib. "It's a long shot, but I've seen it done before. The two you are going to pose as concubines. Many men in Egypt prefer that their mistresses are completely covered from view until they arrive in their homes, so I think we should be safe from anyone finding out who you really are."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, who was now dressed in the burqa, and then down at himself. "Karin, we're men."

"Trust me, it's not unheard of. You only have to wear it until we're safely across the border. It's your best chance of not being detained and then deported."

"If we're deported though, we could go home," Naruto murmured to Sasuke.

"That could take months. I feel ridiculous going along with this, but I think she's right on this one, too."

Naruto sighed heavily. As long as he didn't have to talk to anybody, then they could succeed in their plan. Even so, a knot of worry settled in his stomach. He was going to screw this up somehow. They were just a few blocks away from the border station when Karin laid out the rest of the plan.

"Leave the talking to me; and do not speak even if you are told to. You don't have opinions so keep them to yourselves," she explained, weaving them between the parked cars waiting to cross through.

The border was literally no more than a couple military vehicles blocking the highway with about a dozen armed guards surrounding them. A tall, lanky man in the forefront greeted Karin warmly.

"You just got here! Leaving so soon?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, my business was rather short this time around. Pein requested new company."

The guard leered, body language transforming crudely. His snakish eyes raked over Sasuke's form suggestively. Naruto clenched his fists beneath the robe; jealousy spiking high in his chest. Even if the man may have thought they were consorts, they were entitled to a certain level of decency and respect. Besides, it sounded like many women in the country didn't have a choice to begin with.

"Do you have their papers?" the man suddenly asked, back to business.

"They're underage, but I assure you that Pein will account for them as soon as they reach the compound," Karin lied smoothly. "You know he doesn't like to be kept waiting, and he's personally requested these two so..."

The guard frowned, but stamped Karin's paper anyway. As they passed, one of the other men spat at their feet, not bothering to hide his obvious disgust. Naruto briefly thought about reeling around and shoving the man, but it would blow their cover and their chances of getting into Egypt. Once they were far enough away from the border patrol, Naruto rose the veil of his burqa so he could see better. It still offered enough privacy that from afar no one would be able to recognize a man under the clothing.

"That was too easy, and I was raised to believe if something was too good to be true, that's because it usually was," Naruto said, once they were out of earshot of any eavesdroppers.

"No, trust me, he fell for it. That man has only one oar in the water on his best days. Besides, he knows better than to question whether Pein had sent for someone or not."

"Who is Pein?" Sasuke cut in, taking Naruto's lead and raising his own veil, too.

"Pein is my employer. I'm a procurer for his company, the Akatsuki."

"Does he normally request for you to procure underage girls?" Naruto couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Karin's explanation was lacking, and it was immediately apparent to him that she was withholding information from them. Whether it was information Naruto would be better off not knowing was up in the air.

"This is not your side of the world, Naruto. Do not judge what you don't understand."

"Don't chalk up my uneasiness to walk into another human trafficking ring up to just simple culture shock. If he's involved in something like that, I want no part of it. I won't let this become Cambodia all over again." Naruto felt the gentle pressure of Sasuke's hand upon his arm. The other man was trying to calm him down before he made too big of a scene.

"Yes, well," Karin continued flippantly, "you won't have to deal with us for very long. The Akatsuki will have you on a ship in no time." She jerked on the camel's lead, pulling them quickly through the middle of town obviously in a bad mood now that he had successfully ticked her off.

During the next few hours as they crossed the Egyptian terrain, Sasuke was able to find out through clipped answers from Karin that Akatsuki was located in Beni Suef right on the Nile River. Even though it would take them into tomorrow evening to get there, finding a place to stay where they were traveling would be unlikely. Close to dusk, they stopped in the marketplace of a bordering town to gather supplies. Naruto stayed outside, stretching out his muscles and aching hamstrings. While travel by camel was efficient in this area, it was certainly hard on the body. He wondered why Karin's boss didn't just supply her with a vehicle instead.

Sasuke was the first to come out of the store, loaded down with sleeping rolls and thicker tunics for them to wear that evening; apparently he wasn't the only one who felt they were in for a long, chilly night.

"There's something to be said about how much Karin's boss pays her for what she does. The depth of her pocketbook is endless," Sasuke joked, shoving a jacket into Naruto's arms.

"Can't say I'm that excited to meet the man."

"Same. I definitely don't think we should overstay our welcome. As soon as we figure out passage on a ship, we're taking it."

They went quiet again when Karin joined them, tying down her supplies into a makeshift backpack. Riding on the camel was now impossible so Naruto opted to walk alongside Karin, grateful for being able to stretch his legs for once that day. Pretty soon, the towns vanished around them and they were surrounded by the encompassing beauty of the desert.

"How can you even tell we're going in the right direction?" Naruto asked Karin, trotting to catch up to where she had wandered ahead.

"I've been this way hundreds of times. I could probably do it blindfolded," she mused, shooting a smile his way.

"This place is really pretty, and everyone I've met so far has been so polite and nice."

"There are always two reflections in a mirror: the real one and the one you want to see. My country has always been beautiful to me. I'm sorry you had to learn about the other reflection."

"Me, too," Naruto agreed, falling back into the comfortable silence they had held up all day. Before too long, the light around them began fading, the only indication that it was nearing dusk already. Karin instructed them to lay down their bedrolls on the left side of where their camel lay down to rest, effectively blocking the slight wind that had picked up.

"It would be wise to lie close to one another. It can get rather cold at night," Karin mumbled before curling into her own sleeping bag.

Naruto slumped down onto the ground, slipping his shoes off to dump the sand out that had seeped in as he walked. The gritty substance remained between his toes. Though he tried his best to ignore it; he had a feeling it would become a common occurrence no matter where he went. Sasuke groaned next to him, arms stretched out above his head.

"I think my tailbone is permanently damaged," the man muttered, arm reaching out to pull Naruto down beside him. Naruto collapsed in a huff next to him, nose digging into Sasuke's ribs.

"You're being awfully affectionate."

"Yeah, well, I'm tired," came the reply. Smirking to himself, Naruto scooted his bag closer to Sasuke without having to dislodge out of the man's grip too much. Cautiously, he snaked an arm over his stomach. Sasuke snorted lightly under the touch, but let the arm stay.

"Shouldn't there be at least eighty-one people looking for you?" Naruto questioned after a few moments of companionable silence.

"I can only hope, but they couldn't have noticed my disappearance until today. I told my assistant to wait a couple days before notifying the Council of my leave of absence. They probably have no idea that we didn't make it to Cyprus."

"You fill me full of hope." Naruto jostled the other man playfully, feeling at ease. He was used to Sasuke being hot one moment and cold the next; he had learned to just roll with the punches and take what he could get. Tomorrow he would be back to his distant, taciturn self.

"My contact in Cyprus is the only one that knows we didn't make it on time and I'm certain he's gone through the necessary channels. Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Naruto."

The wind picked up suddenly, and Naruto hunkered down further. The sleeping bags they bought were surprisingly warm for how lightweight they were, but any excuse to be closer to Sasuke was worth taking advantage of.

"So what's it like being a Councillor?"

"There are some slight differences from law. More paperwork, more press conferences, and more hassle to deal with, but it was something I've been working towards for a long time now."

It was almost imperceptible, but a twinge of shame sounded through in Sasuke's voice. The man, however, expelled a labored yawn and curled towards Naruto.

"I'm sure she'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as soon as the sun rises, so we should get some rest while we can." Naruto nodded and closed his eyes, dropping his head down to rest on his free elbow. The camel vocalized lowly as Naruto felt consciousness slip away from him. The last thing he was aware of was Sasuke's fingers tracing a sleepy trail across his own.

* * *

**End Notes: **I've really noticed how different _Khawagah_ is from _Gaikokujin_. Then, I painstakingly mapped out each day and each region they were in with a TON of research being done on the side. I haven't done that with this one. Mostly because it was tedious and I don't have that kind of time anymore. I hope the lack of those little details don't disappoint.


	6. Chapter 6

**Khawagah**

Comments: Long time, no update. I think this will stretch to about ten chapters and then free at last, free at last! **There is also some NSFW content further down in the chapter, but it's pretty mild for what I'm usually capable of.**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with a copyright.

_**Chapter Six**_

* * *

Naruto felt the air split first.

It was subtle enough that he looked to Sasuke to see if he hadn't just been imagining things. Seconds later, the block in front of them erupted, white smoke billowing away from where the mortars hit a heavily populated intersection of the street. Karin cursed, whether in English or Egyptian, Naruto couldn't tell. On instinct he pulled Sasuke off the camel and into the wall, covering the man's body with his own. Without the extra weight on its back, the camel reared and bellowed, front feet narrowly missing Naruto's shins. The reins were still tangled around its long snout as it wasted no time trotting off in the opposite direction.

"There was no sound," Sasuke whispered beneath him. "I thought there was always a sound before." The man's eyes were fixed in horror at the sight before them. The bombs had peppered nearby cars with shrapnel, including a few of the passengers within. The entire block was in chaos from the pedestrians escaping from the damage, some crying out in fear and some eerily silent and calm.

Naruto spotted a group of women emerging from a nearby shop surveying the scene with blank faces as if entirely unperturbed by the whole event. He couldn't imagine being used to this, ever. The smell of singed flesh rides the wind towards them and Naruto has to swallow thickly a few times before the feeling of nausea passes.

Karin finally comes back to them, having left to chase down the camel. "We should go." Her voice was colored with shame; shame at having them bear witness to something that was all-too-familiar on her side of the world.

Sasuke seemed to be in some sort of stupor so Naruto helped him to his feet, hand against the lower part of his back for support. He glanced, once, at his face. The man was deathly pale, lips blue-tinged and trembling.

"How close are we to the compound?" he demands, immediately regretting his tone when Karin visibly flinches.

"Just another mile, in the center of town. I wish you didn't have to see that," she adds quickly.

Naruto can't think of a response that wouldn't be adding to Karin's sorrow, so he just nods before allowing her to lead the way. Sasuke found his feet after a while, walking a little more steady on his own, but Naruto left his hand around him more for his own benefit. He needed human contact right now than he ever had before. It wasn't his first experience with death this year; Sasuke had shot his kidnapper back in Cambodia in front of him and he had even witnessed Sasuke on the brink of death, but this? This was cruel, senseless murder that absolutely made no sense at all.

As they approached the center of town, the citizens began looking all the same. The dress of choice were solid black, ankle-length robes that reminded him of a monastery. Karin noticed him staring and snapped her fingers in front of his face, breaking his focus.

"Akatsuki has many loyal followers and that is just one of the many ways they pay tribute. Even the very poor own at least one pair of these holy robes."

The dank smell of the Nile hit his nose and he knew they had to be close; she had said that the compound sat right on the valley of the river. They emerged from an alley into a cobbled-stoned square in front of the most massive stone church that nearly rivaled the sheer size of the Vatican, itself.

"When you said compound, I thought you meant–," Sasuke murmured, obviously at a loss, too. The building didn't look like any of the mosques they had seen so far, but it still held an aura of reverence of its own.

Two men emerged from within the church as they approached the front steps. They wore the same black robes as the others, but theirs had deep red piping along the front and sleeves. One of the men wore a niqab type of scarf around the lower half of his face obscuring it from view. The other was older, gray hair slicked back from his face.

"Pein will want you to investigate the mortar drop," Karin ordered, barely glancing at the men as she handed off the camel to a young, barefoot boy.

"Of course he will," the older man replied wearily. His eyes swept over Naruto, confusion briefly flashing across his face. "Did something go wrong?"

"You know how impatient he gets, Hidan," Karin muttered, her face blank. Naruto witnessed a moment of understanding pass between them and made a mental note later to tell Sasuke about it. There was definitely something Karin wasn't telling them.

The sanctuary was dimly lit and much to his relief, cool. Most of the pews had been removed so all that was left was the wide expanse of cobbled-stoned floor. Even without pews to sit in, townspeople mingled in throngs around the center of the room. Some were even praying, kneeling barefoot on thick, colorful woven mats.

"Kakuza will show you where you'll be staying while you're here. I have business to attend to, but I'll come fetch you for lunch," Karin dismissed them nonchalantly. "Try to stay out of trouble," she added, more in Naruto's direction.

He scoffed pretentiously in reply, crossing his arms over his chest. After what he had seen today, there was no way he could get in enough trouble by himself to match. He understood Karin was taking a leap offering her hospitability to them here; but Sasuke and he deserved more credit than she was giving them.

"We need to talk," he whispered to Sasuke as they marched down one of the longer corridors behind the masked man Karin had said to be Kakuza.

"Good, you did notice then," Sasuke replied, eyes trained smartly on the back of the strange man in front of them.

Kakuza lead them a hallway lined with doors on both sides. Pulling a heavy set of silver keys out of his robe pocket, he unlocked one of them to allow them to enter. "I hope you don't mind staying in one room together. Pein wishes the others rooms to be available for his guests arriving later tonight," he spoke for the first time, voice gravelly and deep.

"It'll do," Sasuke clipped. "Thank you," added on as an afterthought. As soon as they had the door safely closed behind them, Naruto pounced.

"Okay, so what tipped you off?" Sasuke lingered for a moment, shooting Naruto the most pensive look he had ever seen on the man.

"Honestly? The first day we dropped into this place. Rationally, there was no way Karin would have just happened to be there at that right time, at that exact place in the desert. It's like she was waiting for us." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts that had been no doubt boiling in his mind for days now. "Why did she automatically agree to help us? I feel like tying us up and threatening to rob us was all a ploy; it was just something to gain our attention."

"More importantly, why has no one offered us a phone to call home?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, almost comically, as Naruto's words seem to register and click with his reptilian brain. "It's because we're not supposed to leave. This was all a set up. Karin knows who I am. Pein, no doubt, does too."

The man gravitated to one of the armchairs in the room, slumping heavily into the safety of the cushion. Naruto moved to his side, laying what he hoped was a comforting hand upon his shoulder as Sasuke hid his face in his hands.

"We need to leave. Tonight, even. We need to get away from this place. I don't know why they want me, but it can't be for anything good."

"What do you think are chances of slinking away right now are?" Naruto questioned, desperately wanting to smooth the lines of tension from Sasuke's brow.

"Slim," the man replied, chuckling sardonically. "We are an eyesore in this country. I doubt we'd make it out of the courtyard before being spotted."

As much as he hated admitting that there was no plan, they were at a loss. They could only bide their time for now. Anger boiled just underneath his skin; at least he has been right not to trust Karin in the first place. He moved to sit in the chair across from Sasuke, kicking his feet on top of the coffee table between them. When he glanced back up, Sasuke was studying him with an amused expression on his face.

"I'm relieved to know some things never change. You never change, Naruto."

"You have. I bet your entire world is different now. You're wealthy, have good social standing, and lucked out with a pretty important job. I'm happy for you."

"Am I right to assume things aren't going the same way for you?" Sasuke pressed gently.

Naruto picked absently at an unraveled string on the arm of the chair. "I should have made a Plan B after Sakura. I never thought past her, though. Things were just sort of going downhill in a hurry; returning the engagement ring was spur of the moment. I had to sell most of everything in my house for the plane ticket."

"You could have just sold the ring instead!"

"Yeah, I thought about it. Came close, too." He paused. "It just didn't feel right; I had to bring it back to you."

The sunlight streaming in through the wide windows may have been playing tricks on his mind, because he was certain that Sasuke was blushing. The color suited him where it crept up the front of his neck in a bright display. Naruto felt himself lean forward and settle his lips just to the side of Sasuke's own.

"It's yours. I would like for you to keep it," he explained, pulling back towards his own chair. He suddenly felt like he had crossed that imaginary line that they has mutually agreed upon beforehand. He resigned himself to sighing heavily and running a hand through his dirty hair. This was so not the time to be making a move on Sasuke.

"I'm going to go hop in the shower and save myself from further embarrassment." Sasuke opened his mouth in rebuttal, but Naruto was already pulling the bathroom door closed behind him. The safety of the bathroom offered him little comfort, however. They were more or less being held hostage, for ransom or not, and Naruto's biggest concern was whether or not Sasuke still carried a torch for him. He was already past the point of pathetic.

It was just so hard to spend day after day beside Sasuke without wanting to claim those ridiculously soft, pink lips for himself. A quick jerk in the shower would hopefully relieve some of the tension he was feeling. The water shot out of the showerhead with more force than he would have thought possible for an old church like this. There wasn't any shampoo that he could find, so resorted to running one of the bars of soap in a wicker basket at the edge of the tub through his hair. A groan rumbled up from his chest at the feeling of the warm water rinsing away the dust and grime that had plagued his body for the past two days. He slid a soaped hand down subconsciously, grasping the familiar weight of his own erection in his palm.

He could hear Sasuke moving around in the room which made it all the more worse. A throb made itself known painfully between his legs. His imagination conjured up what Sasuke would look and feel like beneath him, though too much time had passed and he had long since forgotten. All he wanted was that crimson blush riding high on the man's cheeks, perfect set of sharp, little teeth sunk into his lower lip and hips spread as far apart as they'd go with Naruto between.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted his fantasy, Sasuke's voice filtering through from the other side of the thick wood. It was enough to send him over. Naruto breathed heavily, open-mouthed, into the side of the shower as he absentmindedly rinsed his hands underneath the spray of the water.

"There's a man outside our door. He says Pein wants to speak with us."

Naruto thunked his head once more against the wall for good measure before turning the water off. Although the tension in his groin had been temporarily relieved, his body was still trembling with want. All _he _wanted to do was go to bed and talk to Pein some other time. For Sasuke's sake, he stepped out and wrapped a fluffy towel around his waist. A hazy mist of steam escaped when he opened the door to Sasuke's impatient expression.

"You were in there for nearly half an hour," the man deadpanned, eyes sweeping down Naruto's body surreptitiously. It was an act that Naruto knew he wasn't supposed to notice, but he did. He smirked. Sasuke was about as subtle as a brick sometimes.

"If you'll excuse me, it's my turn to shower. Keep our guest company until I get out?"

What guest? Naruto's head spun around the room, before landing on a colossal specimen of a man. A silver man. A silver man who was dressed in the same black and red get-up that the two from before were in.

"Is that paint?" Naruto blurted, before snapping his mouth together so hard his teeth rattled. His brain-to-mouth filter wasn't fully functional on the best of days, and he realized how immensely rude the question would seem.

The giant laughed, and it was like the sound of a rockslide booming up from deep in his chest. He stood to loom over Naruto who dwarfed in comparison to his frame. "You're not the first to ask me that, kid. I have Argyria; I'm worth my weight in silver." He chuckled at his own joke before sitting back down, carefully sweeping his robes over his lap.

Naruto faltered, at a loss for what to do besides sit down on the adjacent couch. He would have really like to get dressed, but that wasn't an option at the time being. "So," he dragged out, "what do you do around here?"

The man smirked, revealing a set of pointed, silver-toned teeth. Naruto did his best not to let the man notice his recoil; his teeth looked as sharp as knives. Having a condition is one thing, but filing your teeth down was another.

"You can think of me as Pein's muscle in this town. There's not a whole lot of people who are brave enough to say they have a problem with my boss, but I'm around for the contingencies."

"Good to know that Pein has enough enemies to keep the likes of you safeguarding him," Naruto joked, trying not to audibly gulp down his fear. Of course the huge man would kick ass for a living.

The bathroom door behind him clicked open, signaling Sasuke's shortest shower to date. It was just as well, because Naruto was beginning to feel like locking himself in the bathroom with Sasuke was the safest thing to do.

"I'll wait outside the door," the silver man intoned, literally ducking his head to leave the room.

They rushed to dress, knowing that keeping Pein waiting was probably not the smartest idea now they had met his personal bodyguard. Sasuke fidgeted, pulling at the shirtsleeves of the clothes Karin had loaned them earlier that morning.

"It'll be fine." Naruto clasped the man's hand between his own in a gesture of comfort.

Sasuke eyed him with something close to appreciation, stepping forward and crowding into Naruto's personal space. Sasuke rested his cheek on his shoulder briefly before straightening back up. "Okay, let's go."

The silver man was directly outside in the hallway, patiently waiting just as he said he would be. They followed him down a series of corridors that led deeper into the bowels of the old church, further and further away from the plaintive prayers that echoed in the chapel. The corridor fell open into a massive, domed room flanked by large wooden thrones. Naruto admired the rose gold floor beneath him with its inlay of rich metal filigree; it was early 15th century at least.

A redheaded man just a little taller than himself stepped forward. Naruto noticed the multiple piercings in his face and ears first although he tried not to stare. The Akatsuki had its fair share of interesting people.

"Gentleman, I've been expecting you." The man's voice was husky and deep and it subconsciously sent a shiver of dread down Naruto's spine. Ever the businessman, Sasuke took the lead and shook Pein's hand. He then stepped back, putting a respectable amount of distance between them.

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. You've been expecting us since we landed in Libya. Why?" Naruto noticed that Sasuke was doing his best to keep his voice neutral and not take the defense. Smart move.

Pein smirked, almost a warning of sorts. Naruto's back stiffened and fear leaped up to choke him.

"To be quite honest Mr. Uchiha, I hadn't expected the two of you to survive the crash."


End file.
